[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 18 (Thursday, February 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           DEMOCRACY IN BURMA

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2005

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 
suffering of the people of Burma. They continue their valiant struggle 
for human rights and democracy despite brutal human rights violations 
committed by the illegal ruling military regime.
  In a few days, Burma's military regime will reconvene a sham 
``National Convention'' under the guise of facilitating a transition to 
democracy in the country. In reality, the Convention is filled with 
handpicked delegates of the ruling regime. It is simply an attempt to 
legalize the regime's grip on power and guarantee the military's 
permanent role in the future of the country.
  Why do I call the Convention a sham? Because the country's democracy 
movement, led by the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize 
recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, is not invited. Her political party, the 
National League for Democracy, is similar to the African National 
Congress in South Africa under apartheid rule in the 1980s and enjoys 
universal support from the people of Burma. In Burma's last election, 
the NLD won 82 percent of the seats in parliament, only to have the 
results annulled by the regime. They are completely excluded from the 
Convention.
  As if that's not bad enough, the Convention is being held at a 
military camp which is surrounded by several military battalions. Among 
the regime's hand-picked participants are members of the United Wa 
State Army, whose leaders were indicted in absentia by a U.S. Federal 
Court in New York on January 24, 2004. The Department of Justice 
rightfully stated that the UWSA is one of the largest heroin producing 
and trafficking organizations in the world and is responsible for the 
production of more than 180 tons of opium in 2004. It is estimated that 
the UWSA has exported more than $1 billion worth of heroin to the 
United States alone since 1985, as well as vast amounts throughout the 
world.
  The proceeds from this drug money have kept Burma's military regime 
in power. Burma's regime is a narco-dictatorship, addicted to the 
proceeds of the international drug trade. The UWSA and the regime have 
worked together to launder billions of dollars in drug profits into the 
Burmese economy.
  We should not tolerate this orchestrated play by members of the 
military junta and drug traffickers, at the cost of thousands of lives 
of Burmese non-violence activists. As a Member of Congress who has been 
engaged on human rights and promoting democracy for 25 years, I am 
proud that our country has taken a firm stance against thugs who now 
control Burma. This pressure has been from both Republican and 
Democrats in Congress and the last two administrations. We should 
publicly denounce this sham convention and the drug traffickers that 
plan to attend.
  In late 2004 Congress unanimously passed a resolution calling for the 
U.N. Security Council to address the Burmese military regime's threat 
to regional peace and security. I am also encouraged by Secretary of 
State Condoleezza Rice's labeling of Burma as an ``outpost of tyranny'' 
and I fully support her assessment. Now, I respectfully encourage 
President Bush and Secretary Rice to follow-up on our resolutions and 
take the issue to the U.N. Security council, where it belongs.

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